HE was once considered to be one of the most exciting young talents of his generation when Liverpool came calling in the early 2000s.
But by the time he rocked up at Dundee United at the age of 31, injuries had robbed him of his promising career.
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Now, almost a decade after that ill-fated spell at Tannadice, Florent Sinama-Pongolle is combining his natural talent and love of the game, with something that’s a little less taxing on the body.
As well as being a pundit on Canal +, the 40-year-old former France international is now helping to develop footgolf in his country.
He is the coach of the French footgolf team, who are hoping to retain their World Cup title next year in Mexico after success in Florida in 2023.
And a recent post on his Instagram shows he can still play a bit as well! As he holed a shot from distance with precision and perfect weight at the Golf de Saint Donat in Cannes.
He told Quotidien Du Sport earlier this year: “It’s a sport that can be very frustrating because, on an 18-hole card, you can play really well for 17 holes and, if you mess up on the last one, it ruins everything.
“So, to be consistent, you have to manage your nerves.”
A feeling most golfers and footgolf players alike can relate to!
Sinama-Pongolle started out his football career in France at Le Havre before catching the attention of Liverpool and then-boss Gerard Houllier.
He famously helped Liverpool win the Champions League in 2005 – even if injury prevented him from actually playing in the final – after his significant intervention against Olympiakos to keep them in the tournament.
In an nomadic career after leaving the Reds, he played for Recreativo Huelva and Atletico Madrid in Spain, before moving to Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
He had unsuccessful loan spells with Zaragoza in Spain and Saint-Etienne in France, before switching to Rostov in Russia in 2012, where he ruptured his ACL in his right knee.
He had a brief spell in MLS with Chicago Fire before joining Lausanne-Sport though he never made an appearance after rupturing his ACL in his right knee for a second time during a training session.
Then came his spell with Dundee United in the 2015-16 season after Mixu Paatelainien brought him in following a successful trial.
But it never worked out after his three cruciate injuries, and he made just four appearances in his six-month spell as United were relegated from the top flight.
He then moved to Thailand and played for Chainat Hornbill, winning the second division in 2017, before finishing his career for Saint-Pierroise on the island of Reunion where he started out as youngster.
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